Ready for work: stories of innovative vocational education and training for regional and remote Indigenous students at Charles Darwin University

A common theme in Indigenous vocational education and training (VET) policy and literature is the imperative for educators to be culturally sensitive to the needs, priorities and interests of regional and remote Indigenous learners and communities for VET to succeed. This review was commissioned by Charles Darwin University (CDU) VET to investigate the specific factors that are contributing to the success of CDU's regional and remote Indigenous VET programs and how the programs can be improved into the future. This report provides a series of case studies of VET programs at CDU that are recognised for delivering positive outcomes for regional and remote Indigenous students in the Northern Territory (NT). Seven case studies across communities and disciplines were selected by CDU for the review as exemplars of good practice in VET in regional and remote Indigenous communities. Three research questions guided the review: What factors are contributing to positive outcomes for CDU's regional and remote Indigenous VET students in the NT? How might CDU's regional and remote VET programs be improved for future delivery? What capabilities do VET educators need to deliver these outcomes and how might they be better supported to continue this work?

The case studies highlight the rich diversity in environments, social contexts, cultural backgrounds and languages in regional and remote Indigenous communities in the NT. They also demonstrate the complexity of delivering VET in these communities and the challenges regional and remote Indigenous students face when participating in VET. A single approach to VET will not accommodate the needs of each student or the aspirations of each community. What works in each one can only be understood in the specific local social, cultural and environmental context. There are however factors in common across the case studies that are contributing to positive outcomes for CDU's regional and remote Indigenous VET students. This review concludes with a series of recommendations to support the continuation of CDU's effective delivery of VET in regional and remote Indigenous communities. These include: (1) providing integrated learner support functions to support CDU's future VET delivery to regional and remote Indigenous students; (2) investigating mentoring models with mentors based in local communities; (3) designing a professional development program to build the capability of new regional and remote VET educators in consultation with CDU VET's stakeholders; (4) where possible, implementing flexible regional and remote teaching models that ensure continuity of educators, ongoing learning and mentoring support for students, and professional development opportunities for new regional and remote VET educators; and (5) continuing to develop learning and assessment resources, including digital, in local languages.

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